Lubricating apparatus



Aug. 2, 1927. 1,637,841

S. K, WELLMAN ET AL LUBRICATING' APPARATUS \Filed Feb.l9, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 amvcntow Aug. 2, 1927.

- s. K. WELLMAN ET AL,

LUBRI CATING APPARATUS Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL x. WELLMAN, or CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, AND LAND, OHIO.

ALLEN A. GOULD, or cnnvn LUBRIGATING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 19, 1925.- Serial No. 10,344.

The invention relates to the commercial distribution and use oflubricants and has to do particularly with improvements in lubricatingapparatus of the grease gun type.

One object of the invention is the provision of an improved process ofpacking and commercially distributing lubricant and vision of animproved grease gun comprising a cartridge-like container for thelubricant which is adapted to serve as, a convenient package in thecommercial handling of the lubricant;

Other objects more or less incidental or ancillary to the foregoing aswell as the manner in which all of the various objects are attained willbe apparent from the following description in connection with theaccompanying drawings 'of the preferred means for practicing ourinvention;

In the drawings:

- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a grease gun embodying ourimprovements.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the nozzle or discharge end ofthe grease gun shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the lubricant cartridge orcontainer removed from the body of the gun.

Fig. 4 is an outer end elevation of the said container.

Fig. 5 is an inner end elevation of the container. v

Fig. 6 is an outer end elevation of the movable end wall or piston ofthe container.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the side wall section of the lubricantcontainer,

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form of greasegun, some of the partsbeing shown in side elevation.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View of the inner end of the lubricantcartridge shown in Fig. 8 with the frangible closure applied.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of still another form of greasegun embodying our invention, some of the parts being shown in sideelevation.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional View of the lubricant containershown in Fig. 10 but with the end closure applied.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional View of another grease gun showing aslight modification of the form ofgrease gun shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lubricant containershown in Fig. 11 with the end closure applied.

Referring in detail to the constructions illustrated and first to Figs.1 to 7, 1 designates the chambered body or barrel of the grease gun. Thebody is tapered at l toward its discharge end and is fitted with anozzle or head 2. The nozzle 2'is fitted with a pump mechanism adaptedto suck lubricant from the chambered body of the gun and force it fromthe end of the nozzle in a well-known manner. In so far as the presentinvention is concerned this pump mechanism may be of any suitableconstruction. The specific form of pump mechanism shown is that of acommerciallyknown grease gun and it will suflice to point out that itcomprises a plunger 3 having a passage therethrough controlled by aspring pressed ball valve 4. 5 is a spring pressed check valve whichcontrols the passage through a fixed formed with opposite spiral slots2*, 2 to engage the pins a. In the use of the gun the nozzle 2 isengaged with the fitting a with the pins a in the slots 2 2. Then thegun is twisted about its longitudinal axis and this causes the end ofthe fitting a to press the plunger 3 toward the check valve 5 thusforcing lubricant past the ball valve 4 into the nozzle of the gun. Onreversing the twisting movement of the gun, the spring 7 returns theplunger 3 to its normal position, thereby exerting a suction on thelubricant tending to draw it from the body of the gun past the checkvalve 5.

As heretofore constructed this pump type of grease gun has had thelubricant intro duced directly into the body or barrel of the gun andhas been fitted with a piston-like follower so that when the lubricantat the inner or nozzle end of the gun is subjected to suction,atmospheric pressure on the follower forces the lubricant forward towardthe nozzle end of the gun. In carrying out our present invention we doaway entirely withthe follower engaging the inner walls of the barrel ofthe grease gun, and instead of introducing the lubricant into directengagement with the body of the grease ,gun we enclose the lubricant ina cartridge-like container which is introduced bodily into the barrel ofthe grease gun. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to 7, inclusive, thiscontainer, designated in its entirety by 8, comprises a tubular sidewall 9, said wall preferably consisting of an inner tube 9 and a shorterouter tube 9*. The inner or discharge end of the container is formed bya frustro-conical cap or closure 10 which fits the end of the inner tube9 as shown. The cap 10 has a central aperture 1O. which, before thecontainer is inserted in the gun is closed by a removable or frangibleseal 11. The outer end of the cartridge or container is formed by apistonlike member 12 which has a cylindrical wall section or skirt 12which fits within the side wall 9 with just sufficient clearance topermit the member 12 to move piston-like within said side wall withoutallowing leakage of lubricant. The skirt 12 of the piston 12 ispreferably braced or strengthened by a disk 12 secured therein. Inaddition to the piston or follower 12 the cartridge has at its outer enda closure or cap 13 which fits the end of the side wall tube 9. The cap13 has a central aperture 13 which, before the cartridge is inserted inthe gun is sealed by a removable or frangible seal 14.

WVhile our invention is not limited to the use of any particularmaterial for the lubricant cartridge or container, as any oil-proofmaterial adapted to give the cartridge a suit-. able amount of rigiditycan be employed, we prefer in the interests of low cost and light weightto use an oil-proofed paper or fibrous material of suitable thickness.The oil proofing of. the fibrous material is preferably efiected by atreatment with silicate of soda or lacquers having a cellulose base,though we do not limit our invention to the use of these or anyothermaterials for the treatment. The cartridge can of course be formedof sheet metal but, as above indicated, lower cost is attainable by theuse of the suitably treated fibrous material. Furthermore, the lattermaterial provides a resiliently flexible side wall for the cartridgethat-cannot easily be so dented or deformed that the pistonlike end wall12 will not readily move therethrough. V

The outer open end of the gun barrel is normally closed by a cap 15which is detachably secured to the barrel of the gun by bayonet slotconnections comprising slots 15 formed in the flange of the cap and pinsor lugs 16 carried by the gun barrel. The construction is such that whenthe lubricant container 8 is inserted in the barrel of the gun and thecap 15 is applied said cap forces the container inward and effects asubstantially air-tight annular seal at 17 between the in nor conicalend of the container and the-adjacent'tapering wall 1 of the body of thegun.

From what has been said in the foregoing description the nature of ourimproved processand the operation of the apparatus will readily beunderstood. Lubricant of suitable quality, that is to say, an oil orgrease that will not cake and harden, is filled into the cartridges atthe factory under mass production conditions where systematic cleanlymethods avoiding waste of lubricant are feasible. The loadedcartridge,in the form illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, is then readily handled,packed and shipped in the regular course of commercial distribution.

The user of the lubricant, being supplied with the grease gunillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, purchases the lubricant-filled cartridgesfrom the retailer and in the use of the grease gun it is only necessaryfor the operator to remove the cap 15 and insert one of the lubricantcartridges, having first however pulled off or broken the seals 11 and14. \Vhen the cartridge is inserted in the gun barrel, the cap 15 isreplaced and in so do-' ing a substantially air-tight seal is effectedat 17 as above described.

With the grease gun loaded it is only necessary for the operator toapply itto a bearing fitting such as that indicated at a and actuate thepump mechanism by a back and forth twisting movement, in order to createa suction which by reason of the atmospheric pressure back of the pistonor follower 12 results in the latter moving forward in the cartridge tofeed the lubricant forward to the pump mechanism. As use of the gun iscontinued the piston or follower 12 continues to advance toward thedischarge end of the gun and finally completely empties the cartridge,the piston 12 being shaped to conform to the shape of the front or innerend of the cartridge so as to effect such complete emptying.

.In the operation of the apparatus as described, .the cylindrical skirt12" of the pispressure on the piston.

When a cartridge has been emptied of lubricant by use of the gun asabove described, the gun is very easily reloaded by simply detaching thecap 15, removing the empty cartridge and inserting a full one in themanner perviously described. After the gun has been placed in use theforward neck portion of the gun between the discharge end of thecartridge and the stationary check valve of the pump mechanism becomesfilled with lubricant so that when a full cartridge of lubricant isinserted in the gun the latter is in condition to at once dischargelubricant from the nozzle without any preliminary actuation of the pumpmechanism to effect priming. In putting the grease gun to use in thefirst instance the user may prefer to introduce a small amountof'lubricant into the neck of the gun ahead of the cartridge tofacilitate priming- In Figs. 8 and 8'" We have illustrated a modifiedform of grease gun embodying our invention. In this latter form ofconstruction the grease gun has a body or barrel 21 with a relativelyfiat conical end 21' and cylindrical neck 21". To the neck 21 isattached a nozzle 22 containing pump mechanism precisely like thatillustrated in Fig. 1. The cartridge 23 employed in this instance issubstantially the same as that illustrated in Fig. 1 except that the cap24 closing the discharge end of the cartridge is not as deep as that ofthe cartridge shown in Fig. 1 but is formed with a frustro-conicalannular portion 24 which is shaped to provide an annular engagement ofsubstantial width with the adjacent wall of the gun body thus insuringmore fully perhaps an adequate air-tight seal between the inner end ofthe cartridge and the adjacent wall of the gun body. The cartridge inthis second form of construction is further and correspondingly modifiedin that the piston 25 is shaped to conform to the cap 24 of the cartridge.

The open end of the gun barrel'in this second construction is closed bya cap 26 secured by bayonet couplings 27 as in the first form ofconstruction but in this second construction the cap 26 is made somewhatdeeper and carries a resilient packing ring 28 of rubber or the likewhich, when the cap is applied to the gun barrel, is compressed betweenthe cap on the one side and the ends of the gun barrel and of thecartridge on the other side. The result is thatan annular air-tight sealis effected between the end of the cartridge and the end of the gunbarrel, this latter seal serving simply to supplement that at the innerend of the cartridge or, in other words, to double insure the air-tightseal between the cartridge and the gun body which is essential to theoperation oitlthe device.

We prefer a cartridge of the form shown in Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig.1 for the reason that the cap at the discharge end of the cartridge andthe forward part of the piston, being more shallow, are more readilyformed.

It will be understood of course that the cartridge shown in Fig. 8 isprovided at its ends with seals such as that at 24 Fig 8, these seals,as in the case of the first construction, being torn off or punched whenthe cartridge is inserted in the barrel of the un. g In Figs. 9 and 10we have shown another form of construction in which the body 31 andnozzle 32 are precisely the same as that shown in Fig. 1. ever, isdesigned to have the cap 34 which closes its discharge endentirelyremoved before the cartridge is inserted in the gun. Thus, as indicatedin Fig. 9, the end 35 of the side wall of the cartridge is forced intosealing engagementwith the wall of the gun body when the cartridge is inworking position in the gun. c

The gun barrel is fitted in this case with a cap 36 secured by bayonetcoupling 37 and provided with an air-tight resilient packing 38 just asin the case of the construction shown in Fig. 8. Consequently when thegun is loaded and the cap 36 attached, air

tight seals are effected between both ends of the cartridge and thebarrel of the gun.

, The cap at the outer end of the cartridge is apertured and providedwith a seal 39 as in the other forms of construction already described,the seal 39 being removed when the cartrid e is inserted in the gun sothat the atmospheric pressure is .freely exerted against the piston 40of the cartrdige when suction is created by the pump mechanism.

In Figs. 11 and 12 is illustrated a slight modification of theconstruction shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the diflf'erence residing entirelyin the form of the side wall of the cartridge at the discharge endthereof. In this latter construction the side wall has its end turnedslightly inward to form a narrow flange 41 which engages the adjacentinner wall of the gun body when the latter is loaded as indicated inFig. 11. The inturned flan e is provided to engage the piston 42 of t ecartridge when the latter is completely empty and insure Withdrawal ofthe piston when the cartridge. is removed from the gun.

It will be understoodflthat the .forms of construction illustrated inFigs. 8, 9 and '11 operate in substantially the same manner .as

.the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 and that in each case theadvantages of our im-, proved processes are realized.

Briefly summarized the advantages of our improved process and apparatus.are the avoidance of the waste of, lubricant and the mussiness incidentto filling the old-style The cartridge 33, how-' grease guns withlubricant, and the extreme ease and convenience withwhich our improvedgrease gun can be filled 'or loaded with lubricant.

These advantages are, of course, attained by the use of the cartride-like lubricant container which satisfactori'l serves the added purposeof holding the ubricant for commercial distribution.

The present application constitutes in art a continuation of our earlierfiled app ication Serial No. 7 52,039.

While we have illustrated the preferred manner of carrying out ourinvention it will be understood that there can be variations in variousrespects without de arting from our invention as defined in t e appendedclaims. A

What weclaim is:

1. In a lubricant gun, the combination of a chambered body; a dischargenozzle for one end of the body; a cartridge-like container for lubricantremovably mounted in the chambered body, said container having alubricant discharge opening at its inner end adapted to be covered by asubstantially liquid-ti ht closure when the container is out of thechambered body and comprising a tubular side wall and a piston-likeouter end wall exposed on its outer side to atmospheric pressure andadapted to move within the tubular side wall; means associated with lthe nozzle for sucking lubricant from the container and forcing it outof the nozzle; and means for maintaining a substantially air-tight fointbetween the wall of the container and that of the chambered body toprevent passage-of air between said wal s to the said suction means.

2. In a lubricant gun, the combination of a chambered body; a dischargenozzle for one end of the body; a cartridge-like container for lubricantremovably mounted in the chambered body, said containerhaving aInbricant discharge openin at its inner end adapted to be covered asubstantially li ind-tight closure when t e container is out o thechambered :body and comprising a tubu'lar side wall anda piston-likeouter end wall exposed on its outer side to atmospheric pressure andadapted to move within the tubular side wall; means associated with thenozzle for sucking lubricant from the container and forcing it out ofthe nozzle; and means for maintaining at the discharge end of thecontainer a substantially air-tight joint between the wall of thecontainerand that of the chambered body'to prevent passage of-airbetween said walls to the said suction means.

3. In a lubricant gun, the combination of a chambered body; a dischargenozzle for one and of the body; a cartridge-like container for-lubricantremovably mounted in the chambered body, said container having alubricant discharge opening at its inner end adapted to be covered by asubstantially liquid-tight closure when the container is out of thechambered body and comprising a tubular side wall and apiston-like outerend wall exposed on its outer side to atmospheric pressure and adaptedto move within the tubular side wall; means ass0-- ciated with thenozzle for sucking lubricant from the container and forcing it out ofthe nozzle; and a. removable closure for the outer end of the body ofthe gun enone end of the body; a cartridge-like con-' tainer forlubricant removably mounted in the chambered body, said container havinga lubricant discharge opening at its .inner end adapted to be covered bya substantially liquid-tight closure when the container is out of thechambered body and comprising a tubular side wall and a piston-likeouter end wall exposed on its outer side to atmospheric pressure andadapted to move within the tubular side wall; means asso-' ciated withthe nozzle for sucking lubricant from the container and forcin it out ofthe nozzle; a removable closure orthe outer end of the bod of the gun;and a packing ring clamped etween the closure and the outer ends of thegun body and the container to eflect ,a substantially air-tight sealbetween the body of the gun and the wall of the container substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a lubricant gun, the combination of a chambered body; a dischar anozzle for one end of the body; a cartridge-like container for lubricantremovably mounted in the chambered-body, said container having alubricant discharge opening at its inner end adapted to be covered by asubstantiall liquid-tight closure when the container 1s out of thechambered body and comprising a tubular side wall and a piston-likeouter end wall exposed on its outer side to at-- to exert pressurethrough said pac s ug to effect substantially air-tight joints betweenthe walls of the gun and both the inner and outer ends, respectively,of*the lubricant container substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

6. In a lubricant gun, the combination of a chambered body; a dischargenozzle for one end of the body; a cartridge-like con:

tainer for lubricant removably mounted in the chambered body, saidcontainer having a lubricant discharge opening at its inner end adaptedto be covered by a substantially liquid-tight closure when the containeris out of the chambered body and comprising a tubular side wall andapiston-like outer end wall exposed on its outer side to atmosphericpressuresand adapted to move within the tubular side wall; meansassociated with the nozzle for sucking lubricant from the container andforcing it out of thenozzle; and means for maintaining a substantiallyair-tight joint between the wall of the container and that of thechambered body to prevent passage of air between said walls to the saidsuction means, the inner end of the lubricant container being formed toengage the piston-like end wall thereof and insure withdrawal of saidend wall from the gun when the empty container is removed therefrom.

. 7. In a lubricant gun, the combination of a chambered body; adischarge nozzle for one end-of the body; a cartridge-like container forlubricant removably mounted in v the nozzle for sucking lubricant fromthe container and forcing it out of the nozzle; andmeans for maintaininga substantially air-tightjoint between the wall of the container andthat of the chambered body to prevent passage of air between said wallsto the said suction means.

Inftestimony whereof, we hereunto aflix' our signatures.

SAMUEL K. WELLMA-N. ALLEN A. GOULD.

tubular side wall; means associated with

